The Fair

While John and I were away in El Paso, Tasha took the kids to the fair. We left her with funds to do so. After paying for tickets and lots of food Tasha was shocked. She never realized how expensive these activities could be. She now "feels my pain".
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They had a great time. Tasha did report that she got lots of stares. I am sure that folks were wondering if they were her kids, she looks too young.

Photos and fun courtesy of Tasha.

What do you see?

I see my baby who went to sleep for the first time in a very long time without having a seizure! I hope that we have gotten a good combination on her medications. I hope that we have many more bedtimes that are seizure free.
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Just had to share some good news in our household.
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Tomorrow morning John and I will be heading out to the airport. We are heading to El Paso to go to a wedding. The foster babies are in respite care (it was a quiet evening here with only three kids!) and Jason and Tasha will be in charge. Tasha plans on taking the kids to the fair.
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I think it will be good for John and I to have some alone time, I'm not sure why I feel nervous about going half way across the country, Jason and Tasha can handle things at home. This is the first time that John and I have done anything like this. We have never had grandparents to take the kids to or anything. We have always been pretty much self sufficient and were never able to rely on anyone to help out. If three kids is quiet, how will no kids be?
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Well, I need to get off this computer and read for my quiz. I have an online quiz and class midterm both due on Monday. I can take the online quiz early so I am trying to do it tonight so I have one less thing to do. I don't seem to be getting too far on it!
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Nite!

Challenges

Yesterday I participated in an assessment at a developmental clinic. I was concerned before going there that I wouldn't have anything to contribute. I was surprised at how much I did know. How much experience I have gained by being a foster parent/adoptive parent/parent period.
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The hardest part is realizing that a child does have autism. When you watch a parent try and explain everything away it is really hard. I understand the need to know but also the dread to know.
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I have struggled with finding answers for my own children. With the initial feelings of loss. Loss of what you wanted your child to experience in life. Pain when you realize that life will be hard for your child. That they will face challenges that you wish with every fiber of your being that you could take away.
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There is a grieving process when you realize that your child will face lifelong challenges. The grief doesn't last forever. However, I still get twinges of it when I see one of my children struggling.
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But you know, I am blessed to be mom to all of my children. They have all brought me grief and joy. Life if full, full of choices. We can't let the grief drag us and our children down. We need to show our children that life is beautiful, no matter what is thrown our way. That everyone has challenges and those challenges make you stronger and help you to grow. The old cliche is true, life is what you make it.

Silverware anyone?

So, who has their fancy silverware sitting around in its fancy box?
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I did.
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Until one day I wondered where all my forks had gone to and decided to use the silverware. It had been sitting in a nice wooden box for decades. It was a beautiful gift from my grandmother. An 8 piece setting for 12. When I received the gift I didn't even have a dining room table to sit at.
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Well, I decided to use it everyday. What good is something if it is not used. I wonder how many other things I don't use because they might get broken or it is not the right occasion. I am throwing caution to the wind and looking for anything else that is not being used and start using it.
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Larissa is thrilled with the cocktail forks, she says that they are carrot skewers.
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Works for me.

That is some delicious home made cabbage soup by the way.

What do you have sitting around wrapped in plastic and protected from damage that you could be using today?

When?

So, when do you think the cable man showed up at my house today?
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6:03 pm.
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Yep, they seriously don't give you an appointment time (unless you count the day of the week) and they expect you to be there still waiting at 6pm. Geez, and they wonder why we decided to go with a different service provider. I honestly thought that they were not coming or that I had somehow missed the doorbell. It makes me appreciate the appointment times that are within a four hour range. When did customer service become obsolete?
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I didn't get to make my roast today, I will have to make it on Thursday. It was still a solid mass of frozen meat this morning. I guess that explains why I normally buy and use my meat when it is fresh. I ended up eating a Zaxby's salad instead.
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John is back in town so he can watch the kids for me tomorrow. I am going to participate in an assessment for a child who is believed to have autism. It should be a learning experience. I know how it is from the parents perspective. I have had/do have children with different behaviors and would love to have some answers.
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With my degree plan I will get a teachers certification as well as become a certified behavior analysts. The next two years will help me to determine where I want to go. I started school with the intention of teaching. However, I would seriously consider doing assessments as well. Dang, I thought I knew for sure what I wanted to be when I grew up!
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I spent part of my day packing for the foster babies. John and I are going to a wedding this weekend and the babies are going to respite care (another foster home) for the weekend. When we accepted the children we were under the impression that they would have already been home. We don't really like to use respite care but none of the kids are going and Tasha and Jason will be in charge. Two babies added to the mix would have been too much.
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I need to start packing for my weekend. John and I don't get away very often so this will be a new experience. Normally we travel en mass with all the kids. I am looking forward to some serious us time. (Where we talk about the kids, ha)
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Anyone know of anything fun to do in El Paso?

I Thought I did Nothing Today

I was going to say that I did nothing today. Nothing but laundry, dishes and class....ohh and chauffeuring and shopping and studying and coordinating the cable box pick up, ohhh and I took my quiz on time.
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Funny how all those "mommy" things seem to add up to something. I guess I feel odd because I realize that I didn't change a diaper today! Not one! No, the foster babies are not gone nor did they suddenly become potty trained. John did all the changing today. I was strategically not around at the right times....all day. I truly didn't plan it that way.
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I am such a procrastinator. I finally got around to scheduling a pick up for our cable boxes. They are coming tomorrow.....time frame....ALL day. Nice. I hope that they do come in the morning since I do need to pick up kids from school. I leave at 2:30 to do this, wanna bet they come at 2:35? I think I will pester Jason and make him come over if they haven't come by then.
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I decided that since I have to be around all day that I would make the roast that I bought on sale. Of course, I realized at 10:30pm that I only have 3 potatoes. Three potatoes will not be sufficient when I cook my roast all day.....with gravy. Mmmmm, this requires lots of potatoes. I normally do my roast on cold days so I am going to pretend that it is not supposed to get to 90 degrees tomorrow.
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Well, since I have to be at the house all day tomorrow I figured that I would make a quick run to WalMart and get some taters.
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While there I decide to pick up some WIC stuff. Oh, and some size 18 months onesies. The baby has gone from 6-9 month clothing to 12 month to some 18 month depending on fit. So I am buying her more clothing since she is outgrowing her stuff already! When they are crawling you can't really put clothing on them that is too big or they get caught up in it. We have had the kids since September 1st and still have not received any subsidy. I am guessing we will in the next week or so.
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I was amazed that Walmart had three lanes open and just about no one there. There was no line! I got my WIC stuff all bunched together and was checking out. A man got in line after me and then saw that I had WIC stuff. He actually swore at me! The cashier and I looked at each other in shock. He left and went to the next lane which was empty. Funny, he was wearing a shirt from a local church. Geez, if you are going to be swearing at folks who are using WIC then you might want to leave the church shirt at home.
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I guess tomorrow will be a do nothing day. I will wait around for the cable guy, watch (and smell) my roast cook all day and clean house. The kids GAL is coming on Wednesday so I guess I should pick up the house. At least she learned and called in advance. I truly do appreciate it!
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Well, I am off to harvest some crops on Frontierville and go to bed. Have a great evening.

Good Day

We had a busy day.
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We went to church this morning. We are struggling with churches. We can't seem to find one that we fit into. I think that it is because the churches are so segregated here, only problem is our family is not segregated.
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We miss our church in San Antonio. Sarah has really struggled with the youth groups. She really misses her old youth group leader.
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Later I took the kids to go see a movie. The only movie that they had showing for the kids was in 3D. I really don't like to do 3D because it cost more. I think that movies cost too much to begin with, then add the extra cost for 3D and it is way too much.
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They want you to turn your glasses to recycle at the end of the movie. I let the kids keep theirs, I did pay for them! I guess that means I am not green.

I got on the roof and finished the ridge today. It sure got hot up there. My knees are bruised and my left behind hurts. The price I pay for doing it myself.

The next job will be finishing the interior.

This rotted piece of wood had to go.

Having the right tools makes some jobs so much easier.

This doorway will become a window. I need to build some type of awning for over the window.

This piece of shop equipment is one of my favorites. I got the stand for my birthday two years ago. I have been frustrated because the movers lost a part that hold up the wood, grrrr. My next big purchase of shop equipment will be a compound miter saw. It won't be any time soon, but I can put it on my wish list.

Well, I have an online quiz due by tomorrow at 5 pm and haven't even started the reading so I guess I'd better get back into the studying phase.

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Have a blessed evening.